Young, Gifted, Black . . . and Country:
A Community Situated Approach to Analyzing Black, Rural Giftedness in Contemporary Nonfiction Children’s Literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2020.v10n2p46-62Keywords:
gifted Black students in non-fiction literature, rural Black youth in non-fiction literatureAbstract
This article shares findings from a critical content analysis of five contemporary nonfiction children’s books. Each book centers on a gifted Black historical figure who spent at least part of their childhood in a rural setting. The analysis, using a funds-of-knowledge and community-cultural-wealth approach, revealed the situated nature of the child’s giftedness, including intersectional oppression they faced, various ways they enacted giftedness within their rural setting, and a reciprocal relationship with their community. In each book, the youth’s giftedness was supported by the community but also positively impacted the community.
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